Challenge
by Griselda Banks
Summary: Oneshot. Otani returns from university with something important to discuss...


_For Night N. Gail, who has somehow managed to convince me to watch shoujo_

Koizumi Risa was all too accustomed to the sick, frantic weight in her stomach when she woke up and realized that she had slept in and would be late. Again. But this was so much worse than getting to school late or risking her job. She pedaled with all her might towards the train station, not caring that her hair was whipping all over the place and her socks weren't even coordinated. She had fifteen minutes, and she _couldn't_ be late. Not for this.

Tossing her bike aside, Risa ran into the train station, her lungs stinging as she desperately sucked in air, knowing that she was too late, knowing there was no point... She glanced up at the clock; the enormous red numbers glared back at her. Ten minutes late, despite her best efforts. But that wasn't too bad; maybe there was still a chance. Maybe he hadn't left...

Risa skidded to a stop in front of platform 7 and looked around wildly, but she didn't see him anywhere. No short, bright-haired man with a huge grin. Of course, he must have given up and just gone on home... But she had been so excited, so eager to see him after all this time... Leaning over, Risa gasped and wheezed, trying to catch her breath. Last night, she had imagined herself standing on this platform and waiting for him, pretty and fashionable and smiling, her hair curly and shining like a foreigner. She'd daydreamed about him turning to whoever he'd sat next to on the train and saying, "That's my girlfriend. Isn't she beautiful?"

But here she was, all alone, sweat rolling down her face, her hair straggling down her back, wearing the oddest combination of clothes because she had grabbed them from the floor in her haste. It was a good thing he wasn't here to see her, to be ashamed of her...

He was probably sick of her by now. There were probably plenty of girls at university that were much prettier, much cooler than she was. She wasn't afraid he would cheat on her – she knew he wasn't that kind of guy – but they saw each other so little these days. Maybe _this_ time, he would finally come out and tell her that he wanted to break up. She couldn't blame him... Maybe he'd hurried home, not wanting to see her, trying to figure out how to tell her...

"Oh, there you are, Koizumi. What took you so long?"

Risa's breath caught and she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the tennis shoes in front of her. Then she straightened up, and there he was, just as she'd been imagining for the past two months. He looked much the same as he had last summer when he'd come to visit – still short, still laid-back and grinning. "Otani..."

Otani laughed at the look on her face. "I bet you slept in, didn't you? Then you ran all the way here; that's why you look so disheveled!"

Risa started to protest, but she was still out of breath and Otani just laughed at her. "Come on," he said, taking her hand and hefting his duffel bag over his shoulder. "Let's go home."

* * *

Risa spent the day with Otani and ate dinner with his family. He would only be in town till the end of the week; he still had one term left at university. After that...she wasn't sure. But she was determined to make the most of this time, rather than worry about the future.

Otani insisted on riding Risa back home on her bike, and they rode most of the way in contented silence. Risa smiled, thinking back over the many conversations they'd had that day, the inevitable arguments, the gushing over their favorite TV show they'd both watched separately without realizing it. It was like he'd never been gone.

Suddenly, Otani slowed to a halt and got off the bike, leaning it against a lamppost. Risa hopped off, looking around in confusion. "Um...why are we stopping here? My house is still three blocks away."

"I know." Otani shoved his hands into his pockets and looked off into the dim shadows of the street outside their circle of lamplight. "I...I need to talk to you about something."

Her heart immediately fell into her shoes. This was it. The end. "Yes?" she mumbled.

"It's, um...well, it's just..." He scratched his head awkwardly, refusing to look at her.

But no, she couldn't bear to hear the words. "It's okay," she said quickly. "You don't have to say it. I mean...I know what you're going to say."

"Oh." He turned around in surprise, his cheeks reddening. "Really?"

Risa put on a false smile. "Yeah. I get it. It's okay; let's just...not talk about it anymore, okay? I just...want to still be friends."

Otani's brow furrowed in confusion. "O...kay..." he said slowly. "So...you agree?"

Risa looked down at the ground, letting her hair fall in front of her face so he wouldn't see the tears building up in her eyes. "Y-Yeah. I figured this would happen eventually. It's okay, really." She took a deep breath, then said breathlessly, "Is she pretty?"

"Um...who?"

"The girl at university."

"Wait, wait, back up – who are we talking about again?"

Risa was used to Otani being slow on the uptake, but this was getting ridiculous. She glared at him, the tears beginning to fall. "The _girl,_ Otani! The girl at your university you've fallen in love with!"

"What girl?" Otani wailed, throwing his hands in the air. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about!"

"I'm not _stupid,_ Otani!" Risa stamped her foot, tears splashing down her front. "I know that's why you're breaking up with me!"

For a moment, he just gaped at her. "I'm not trying to break up with you, idiot! I was asking you to marry me!"

Now it was Risa's turn to stare. Her heart thudded to a halt, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. Then her cheeks began to burn and she turned away, confused and angry and embarrassed and delighted all at once. And she couldn't seem to stop crying. She sank down onto the sidewalk, trying to wipe away her tears, but more just kept pouring down her cheeks.

She was dimly aware of Otani grumbling above her. "Sheesh...of all the stupid...every time, _every_ time I say _anything_..." He sat down next to her with an exasperated sigh, pulled her hands away from her face, and kissed her.

"Sorry," Risa mumbled into Otani's shirt as she clung to him and he patted her awkwardly on the back. "I'm sorry, I just...I never imagined...I mean, I know I love you more than you could ever love me, so...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I made a big mess of everything..."

"Stop apologizing, stupid. Just say yes or no."

Risa let out a shaky, tearful laugh. "Yes. Of course."

Gently, Otani extricated himself and wiped her tears away with his sleeve. "You always make things way more complicated than they have to be." He stood and helped her to her feet. "And don't you dare say you love me more. It's impossible to love anyone more than I love you."

Another thing she had never expected him to say. He was red as a tomato, and he refused to look at her, but he seemed happy. Risa smiled as he started to turn back to the bicycle. "You're on."

"Huh?"

"I'll _prove_ that I love you more! Do you dare accept the challenge?"

"What kind of crazy challenge is that? Fine, fine, I accept. But I'm sure to win this one!"

Risa laughed. Of course that was impossible. Everything he did to prove his point only made her love _him_ more than ever.


End file.
